Officials with the City of Santa Clarita announced Thursday that a portion of Main Street in Old Town Newhall is scheduled to be closed on weekends to allow restaurants to expand their patio seating onto the nearby sidewalk and street in order to stay compliant with the Los Angeles County Public Health Order.

Starting Friday, Main Street in Old Town Newhall is set to be closed off from 6th Street to Market Street to allow restaurants to expand their dining services into the sidewalks and street in an effort to help them continue their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The area between Market and 6th Street will be shut down from approximately 3:00 p.m. on Friday to 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, with this schedule intended to continue on weekends through August,” a statement issued by the City Thursday reads.

Friday’s block closure on Main Street allows several local restaurants, such as the Smokehouse on Main, the Newhall Press Room, and the Old Town Junction, to expand their outdoor dining capacity. 

Additionally, city officials say that other restaurants in the area are currently in the process of developing their own plans for outdoor dining.

“Each restaurant is set-up with water-filled k-rails to operate into the expanded area,” Thursday’s statement reads.

See Related: City Considers Temporarily Shutting Down Main Street For Restaurant Expansion

Back in June, City officials announced the “Eat Local” Campaign in an effort to help restaurants expand their activities into their retail center’s private sidewalks and parking lots.

“This is another way the City is looking to help our local restaurants recover from the losses they have suffered during the shutdown,” Mayor Cameron Smyth said in a statement at the time. “The Eat Local Program is both an innovative and business-friendly solution to ease residents into feeling comfortable eating out again and helping restaurants welcome back more customers, while indoor dining is still at limited capacity.”

As part of the Eat Local Program, restaurant owners can submit a site plan to the City’s Planning team, who can then issue a Temporary Use Permit at no cost. This temporary measure is intended to remain in place while restaurants indoor occupancy is limited due to the COVID-19 crisis, according to City officials.

Since the program’s inception, 22 Temporary Use Permits have been issued by the City.

Starting Thursday, a similar program, titled “Shop Local” now allows local businesses other than restaurants to take advantage of Temporary Use Permits to “expand offerings into private sidewalks, common areas and parking spaces.”

“These permits for expanded outdoor activity are no cost to the business,” Thursday’s statement reads.

Those who wish to learn more about the expansion of restaurant dining services along Main Street are encouraged to contact Arts and Events Manager Phil Lantis at plantis@santa-clarita.com. 

For additional information on the Shop Local and Eat Local Programs, residents can contact Planning and Economic Development Manager Jason Crawford at jcrawford@santa-clarita.com.

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